Exclusive – Van der Sar: Man United’s dip in form under Moyes is expected

Former Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar says fans should not be too concerned by the unconvincing start the club has made to the Premier League under David Moyes.

but is already under pressure after defeats to Liverpool, Man City and West Brom, which see the Red Devils lying in ninth position.

But the Dutchman believes the Old Trafford faithful should get behind the team: "I think they expected that [the dip in form] because Sir Alex Ferguson was there for 26 years and the backroom staff left too.

"The players are still the same but you need to make adjustments to the style of play. They had a good win at Sunderland but of course, you don’t expect to lose at West Brom at home, those were expensive points.

"Even last year they had a bad start but Robin van Persie, with all the goals scored, was on fire and hopefully this year they can do it again. Traditionally Man United never have a great start and at the moment the change of manager is quite difficult for them.

"They’ve had so much success over the years with Ferguson so it’s normal to have a dip and even Ferguson did not win the league all the time. So there’s a chance you don’t win anything in the first season or even the second season but hopefully there’s faith in what he can do."

And, despite United's tricky start to life under the new boss, Van der Sar, who won the Champions League in his six-year stay at United, says they remain contenders on both domestic and European fronts.

"Of course they are realistic contenders because they have great players with a lot of experience," he added.

"They have a lot of young players coming through because United are a team that give young players a chance. Maybe a little later than clubs like Ajax, but there is always a chance for the likes of Danny Welbeck, Jonny Evans, Rafael."